Large campuses, such as hospitals, schools, government buildings, military bases, and large companies, can be difficult for visitors and guests to navigate. These campuses rely on a team of security staff and receptionists to maintain security, issue visitor passes, notify hosts of the visitor's arrival, direct visitors to amenities such as cafeterias or restrooms, and provide directions to buildings and locations within buildings. These teams, while effective, are expensive to staff and can be overwhelmed by a large number of visitors. Further, staff are required at each building or location.
Virtual receptionist systems as implemented today are cumbersome, have limited capabilities, and are difficult to use. Some virtual receptionists are unable to perform certain tasks or are limited to one type of interface, such as a telephone interface.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.